Herbert f



I NuModem H. P. EASTON DRIVING REIN.

` No. 509,882. Patented Deo. 5,1893,

nF ma coMPANY NITED STATES PATENT CEEICE.

HERBERT F. EASTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DRIVING-REIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 509,882, dated December 5, 1893.

Application led December 16, 1892. Serial No. 455,377. (No model.) Patented in France July 15, 1891, No. 214,872; in Austria-Hungary October 2, 1891, No. 19,017 and No. 38,808, and in England February 3, 1892, No. 2,069.

T0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT F. EASTON, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Antipuller Safety-Rein, (for which I have obtained apatent in France, No. 214,872, bearing date July 15, 1891; a patent in Austria-Hungary, No. 19,017 and No. 38,808, bearing date October 2, 1891, and a patent in Great Britain, No. 2,069, bearing date February 3, 1892,) of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is such a modilication of the rein and its means of attachment to the harness as without complicating or adding to the weight of the harness to materially increase the safety of. the driver or rider by giving him greater control over the horse. By its use, the rider or driver has means of exerting a pull on the mouth of the horse of double the strength which he would have by means of direct reins of customary form and at the same time ease and steadiness of pull on the horses mouth are increased so that a driver with even a very poor hand can manage his horse more easily, and with less wear and tear on both himself and the horse, than can an expert driver with the ordinary reins.

My invention does away with the ordinary check rein or bearing rein, or rather it makes the check or bearing rein in one sense simply a continuation of the driving reins. The rein is led from the check or bearing hook or other part of the saddle through the hannes ring around a pin or roller carried by a short billet or strap connected to the bit; thence back through the hames ring again and through the saddle ring to the drivers hand.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification:- Figure 1 shows my improved rein applied to single driving harness. Fig. 2 shows the same applied to a riding saddle. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the billet which connects the rein to the bridle.

Referring to Fig. 1, 1 may represent the usual bridle having the ordinary bit 2 which may be either a curb or snalebit or both curb and snaflie bits may be employed. 3 is a short billet or strap which is attached to the bit; where a curb bit is used it may be adjusted up or down on the bar to secure the proper leverage. The form of this short strap and its attachments .is shown in the enlarged View Fig. 3. It has the tongue 4 and buckle 5 serving for its attachment to the bit and the buckle loop 6 has at its rear end a ring or link 7 of rectangular form shown in Fig. 1 and preferably having on its rear bar as an anti-friction device a roller 6. The rein 9 em ployed is a continuous one. It passes from the drivers hand through the saddle ring 10, through the haines ring 11 on one side, around the roller 8 of ring or link 7; thence doubling on itself, it passes back again through the hames ring 11, around the check or bearing hook 12 and so through the same parts of the harness on the other side of the horse. A keeper 14 affixed to the strap 3 nearits rear end embraces both falls ,of the rein and holds them parallel and close together. It Will noW be seen that the standing end or part of the rein is at thecheck or bearing hook 12 and the running end is the part passing backward through the haines ring and saddle ring to the drivers hand and that by the double fall or bloc-k and tackle arrangement thus obtained the driver can exert a pull on the horse much greater than if the rein ran direct to the bit and at the same time the pull is steadied and eased so as to avoid hardship to the horses mouth. It is to be understood that the standing end of the rein instead of running to the check hook 12 may run to any other part of the saddle.

Fig. 2 shows the application of the invention to a riding saddle. Here the check or bearing hook 12 of the driving harness is lacking and the attachment of the standing end of the rein 9 is made to a ring 13 or other part xed to the front end of the saddle.

The advantages of employing a separate strap or billet 3 instead of running the rein directly through the bridle are numerous; among them may be stated that the rein is thus more readily shiftable up and down on the bar of the curb where a curb bit is used, the roller can be employed to lessen the friction,`the running part of the rein is removed to adistance from the saliva of the horses mouth, the appearance of the bridlewis im- ICO .proved and the keeper 14 may be employed which holds the two falls of lthe reins parallel and close together thus compelling the rein to double directly on itself so that the backward pull will be direct and the full advantage of the block and tackle'arrangement be secured Whether the rein be used on a single or double harness. It is especially advantageous on a double harness as thereby the pull on both sides of the horses mouth is the same. Furthermore, if the short billet 3 were done away with, three reins running from the llorses mouth would be necessary which would present an ungainly appearance.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent'.

l. The combined driving and check-rein comprising reins provided with a loop to engage the check-hook or ring and'extending in and extending thence to the driver; substantially as described.

2. The combination of the bit-straps or billets having rings or links and a combined driving and check-rein provided with reins adapted to engage the check-hook or ring and extending thence through the rings or links of the bit-straps or billets and rendering freely therein, and extending thence to the driver; substantially as described.

3. The combination of the bridle l, the bit 2, the short billet or strap 3 having means of connection to said bit and provided with a keeper 14 and the rein 9 having its standing end connected with the saddle and running through said keeper and connected t0 said shortV strap or billet, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

HERBERT F. EASTON.

Witnesses:

HARRY E. KNGHT, M. V. BIDGOOD. 

